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Brandon Rolle

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Specialization:

Composition

Bio:

Born and raised in the heart of Silicon Valley, composer Brandon J. Rolle’s music embodies a spirit of innovation: Fueled by curiosity but informed by classical and experimental musical traditions, his works employ a singular language that investigates points of connection between old and new, structure and chaos, perception and deception. His diverse output has been performed across the United States and Europe and includes orchestral, electro-acoustic and acousmatic music, as well as original interactive computer instruments, intermedia works and installations. Outside of his compositional work, Rolle is an active conductor, orchestrator and copyist/ editor, and audio programmer.

Rolle started his musical career as a jazz guitarist, a background that influenced his experimental and collaborative approach to music-making. His interdisciplinary research interests led him to pursue dual degrees in music and rhetoric (B.A., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) and then onto graduate study in composition at the experimental music program at Mills College. While at Mills, Rolle’s artistic voice was deeply influenced by his work with maverick composers Roscoe Mitchell and Pauline Oliveros, as well as by his exploration of computer programming, audio synthesis, and the American Experimental tradition. Today, Rolle is based out of the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is a PhD candidate in music composition and a student of Clarence Barlow and Joel Feigin.